Day five – beautiful, wonderful Munich

I’m freezing but buzzing right now: A group of racist twats had planned a demonstration today, in the style of the disgusting “Pegida” marches that have been happening in Dresden. We citizens of Munich (along with many other German cities that stood up tonight) decided that we weren’t going to just sit back and watch, however.

The centre of the square was cordoned off and police were everywhere. The remainder of the square was filled with counter-protesters… You’re probably picturing a mass of people on either side of the police line now. Well, not quite. About 50 neonazis and “concerned citizens” were holding about five or six pathetic banners and a couple of flags. Around them, there were at least 1,000 of us, holding colourful signs, flags and banners of various parties and organizations and even one unicorn balloon. One woman standing just behind me was pulled away by her friend, apparently she’d accidentally joined the counter-protesters.

When they started walking, we went along, overtook along the sides and stopped them after 200 metres at the most. We then stood there for a good hour and a half, chanting, booing and whistling at them. The police warned us a couple of times that by blocking a demonstration, we were committing a petty offence. But they never did more than that and eventually, the police announced that the neonazis had terminated their demonstration.

So that was a fun “first” today. I’d never been warned to leave by the police nor had I ever helped to interrupt a racist demonstration. I am very happy to live in an open-minded city like this. Munich, I love you.